Shadow Unleashed
by fictiondemon
Summary: During the events of Sonic Unleashed, Shadow goes through a transformation that becomes dangerous when he is around a certain pink hedgehog.
1. Chapter 1

All of the characters and ideas in this story belong to Sega.

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**Shadow Unleashed**

**Part 1: Animal I have become**

Rouge and Shadow had been proceeding through Eggman's base in Earth's orbit when Shadow was seized by a bolt of energy. It sliced through him, bringing the hedgehog to his knees.

"Shadow! What's wrong?" Rouge asked as she bent down to look at him.

"Get back!" Shadow snarled as he looked up at her, making her gasp and step away. His red iris had become black, and thin veins began to pulse through the whites of his eye. His body shuddered as electric currents crackled around him. Bone and muscle shifted beneath his fur. Quills on his back extended out and he opened his mouth on a growl as his canines grew past his lips. The extensions on his back widened and spiked into two leathery wings. His body took on definition, muscle sculpting his arms and legs and toning his torso. A pulse of energy surrounded him, pushing Rouge away. Her heels scraped the floor as she raised her arms in protection against the blast. When it evaporated, she lowered her arms and opened her eyes to see Shadow slowly get up. Her eyes widened in shock to see how he had changed. He looked to be a crossbreed between a hedgehog and a bat. He looked at himself, frowning at his changed appearance. His wings shifted with his movements as he turned to see Rouge approaching him.

"What happened?" She asked, still not coming too close to him. Shadow glared past her shoulder towards the end of the hallway.

"Something tells me that the doctor had something to do with this."

Rouge winced at the harsh response. His voice was no longer husky, but now guttural, almost menacing. He stepped around her, keeping his distance as though he were afraid to touch her. They entered the room at the end of the hall to find it empty. The window that looked out to space had been closed by a security panel to keep in oxygen. Rouge went over to the control system as Shadow looked at the prong device that descended from the ceiling and came out of the floor.

"Shadow, look at this. I hacked into the video feed for this room." Rouge stepped back from the screen as Shadow came over to look. Shadow's eyes narrowed as he saw Eggman trick Sonic and use the power of the emeralds to transform the blue hedgehog and cause the Earth to shatter. The feed ended and Rouge looked over at the locked window.

"The Earth is in pieces." She said as though she still couldn't believe it.

"It seems that by draining the emeralds of power, Sonic and I have been transformed because of the imbalance that Eggman has caused."

"But what was it that Eggman unleashed from within the planet?" Rouge asked.

"We better head back to Earth. You contact HQ and see if you can find out any information."

"What about you?"

Shadow turned, "I'll look for Prower, he might know something."

* * *

It was still dark when Shadow made his way through the streets of Apotos, the last place the fox had been seen. He looked around the stone streets, noticing how his vision had altered with his appearance. It was as though he could see different neon colors within the darkness. He was sure to keep to the shadows as early risers moved through the small town, not wanting to cause a fright to anyone. As they passed he noticed how his senses had sharpened to where he could hear the heartbeats of passing people. He could almost feel the flow of life through each person. The feeling almost felt intoxicating, but he shoved it away as he continued his search. Dawn kept over the horizon and Shadow turned to see the sun break over the clear water.

* * *

Tails was working on his Tornado when he heard someone walk into his work shop. Tails looked from beneath the plane to see Shadow enter and look around. Getting up hastily, Tails went over to greet black hedgehog, a bit curious about the unexpected visit.

"Hey Shadow, what brings you here?"

Shadow turned to the fox, "Do you know anything about the planet being broken?"

Tails ears perked, "Actually, I was doing some research here for that exact reason." The fox walked over to a computer screen on a desk next to the Tornado, and booted up some information. "Professor Pickle sent me out here to collect some data and told me it had something to do with an entity living beneath the surface of the Earth." A satellite image came up on screen and showed how when the planet broke, a creature tried to rise through the cracks before breaking apart and spreading a purple energy over the planet.

"What is that thing?"

"I'm not sure; I was going to ask the Professor once I was done gathering my research."

"Where is the Professor?"

Tails turned to look at him, "He is usually at the Spagonia University, but since the planet is broke apart, I'm going to have to finish my repairs before I can go to the next continent."

Shadow nodded his thanks to the fox before turning to leave the workshop. Tails watched him leave as he looked back at the screen, wondering if the darkness spreading over the surface would affect the planet.

* * *

Shadow reported what he had discovered to Rouge through the COM channel, letting her know that his alternate form was rectified through the passage of the day.

"That's good news. HQ is still analyzing the situation, but from what I know so far, the information that we are looking for are in the Gaia manuscripts. The manuscript is said to be in the possession of Professor Pickle."

"I'll find a way to the next continent and find the Professor."

"Alright, I'll catch up with you later. I have a certain emerald to check up on."

The radio cut off and Shadow found himself smirking knowingly, wondering if the bat was truly concerned about the state of the Master Emerald, or if her concern was directed to a certain red echidna.

* * *

Rouge climbed the steps that led to the Master Emerald, not seeing the echidna anywhere in sight. Ignoring her sense of disappointment, Rouge approached the giant emerald, noticing how it had lost its shine in much that same way as the chaos emeralds.

"What are you doing here?"

Rouge whirled around to see Knuckles glaring suspiciously at her. She tilted her chin up and placed her hands on her hips, "I just thought you might want to know why your emerald has lost its usual luster." She said motioning to the jewel.

"What would you know about it bat girl?"

Rouge shrugged nonchalantly and headed back towards the stairs, "I might know that Dr. Eggman is up to his old tricks again and that he has drained the chaos emeralds of their power."

"What?"

She looked over her shoulder and smiled slyly, "You wouldn't happen to know anything about a creature named Gaia would you?"

* * *

Shadow was able to cross to another chunk of the planet by using recourses through G.U.N. Unfortunately he was not able to reach the city of Spagonia before the sun had vanished behind the horizon. Shadow shifted to his other form and growled his frustration, unsure if the Professor would be accommodating to someone of his appearance. Not wanting to waste any more time than was necessary, Shadow continued to search, staying to the darkest corners of the city. He found himself slightly distracted by his new senses. The beating of hearts seemed to pound against his ears in persistence. He also felt more tired than usual, as though his limbs were becoming drawn down by a heavy weight. He shook his head to clear it as he neared the University where the Professor was said to be. Shadow looked up to see a vehicle fly overhead and a commotion shortly followed when it was out of sight. Shadow ran the rest of the way to the courtyard of the University, annoyed that he no longer had the ability of incredible speed in his other form. People ran past him as he entered the courtyard, most of them not even noticing him as they scrambled to get away from the army of robots that surrounded the University. Feeling anger boil within him, he charged the line of robots, kicking the heaps of metal so hard that bolts and pieces scattered over the pavement. He felt a slight surge of triumph that he still retained strength in his other form. When no robots remained, Shadow looked at the debris and was about to enter the building when a wave of fatigue hit him. He swayed as his vision blurred. Shadow gritted his teeth and focused on placing one foot in front of the other, determined to get to the Professor before Eggman did. Determined to get out of this form as soon as possible.

When he entered into the office, the Professor was gone and their was no sign of Eggman. Shadow was furious, but his body had become too weakened to take out his anger in any way. He left the building, using one of the walls as support to hold him up. His stomach tightened painfully in hunger. Shadow looked up, only to be assaulted by the beating of frantic hearts. Hearts that were drowned out by one. Shadow stiffened when he saw a pink hedgehog ambling through the crowd of people that had gathered outside. Her heart beat a tattoo in his ear above all the others. A strong craving stole over him, a craving for the life that was flowing through her. He was struck by the horror when he realized what his body wanted, why he was so weak and tired. The thought filled him with disgust and panic as he turned and ran from the crowd. He followed a stone cavern, and he didn't stop until he reached an underground sewage system beneath the city. The tunnels were damp and cold, but Shadow didn't care. He crouched down and hugged his knees to his body, horrified at what he had become. He realized now that he had become a creature of myth, a counterpart to his blue rival. Shadow shut his eyes as though to shut out the word that echoed in his mind. Vampire.

Shadow opened his eyes and glared out at the water running beneath the city. The craving was still with him, but it had abated in the cold underground tunnels. His eyelids drooped as he tried to stay awake. When he could no longer fight sleep, he vowed that he would make the Doctor pay for what he did to him.

* * *

"Shadow? Shadow are you there?" Shadow's ear twitched at the sound that woke him. He got up from his sprawled position and answered the radio.

"This is Shadow." He answered, fatigue gone.

"What happened last night? Did you find the Professor?" Rouge asked.

Shadow mentally cursed himself for not contacting her sooner, "No, Eggman kidnapped him."

"Alright, I'll inform HQ. Have you started tracking him yet?"

Shadow gritted his teeth, "No, it seems there is another set back to my altered form."

"What do you mean?"

"It seems I need a liquid substance to sustain my strength in my other form, one that I would prefer not to have."

There was a pause over the radio, and he allowed Rouge to take in what he had said, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, the craving is gone during the day. I will set out to find Eggman immediately."

"Be careful Shadow."

"Same to you." He said as he shut the radio off and took off down the sewage tunnel.

* * *

Shadow dashed through the halls of the base, destroying robots into balls of explosions. The heat of the sun in Mazuri had filtered through the halls, making the metal structure turn into an inferno of warmth. Shadow broke down the door at the end of the hall to find Eggman frantically trying to activate his pod to get away. He turned to see Shadow and huffed in frustration.

"Shadow! How many times do I have to tell you the proper use of a door?"

"What do you know about the Gaia manuscripts?"

Eggman harrumphed as he sat down, "If you're looking for the Professor, he's no longer here. That blue menace has already taken him back to Spagonia. No matter though, I already know what is within the Gaia manuscripts."

"What do you know?"

"Only that this isn't the first time that Dark Gaia has risen from the Earth. I just gave it a bit of a premature wake up call is all." The Doctor slapped his console in frustration, "The only problem now is that because of this, he has spread out all over the world. No matter, I'll have his power harnessed in no time."

Shadow was tempted to hurt the doctor in some way. Not only for what the doctor had done to the planet that Shadow had promised to protect, but because of what the doctor had done to him and Sonic. Instead, Shadow smirked, finding the aspect of all the Doctors' hard work coming to an inevitable end much more appealing. "I doubt that, your plans never cease to amaze me in how fast they seem to fail."

Eggman stood and sputtered, "You'll see! I'll show all of you the power of the Eggman Empire." With that, the Doctor sat down in the pod and made his escape. Shadow shook his head, wondering how such a man could ever be related to his creator. He knew deep down that he could never end Eggmans' life. He was the only link to the closest thing the hedgehog ever had to a family.

* * *

Shadow informed Rouge of what the doctor had related to him.

"Dark Gaia." Rouge repeated, "I'll inform HQ, but for now, we need to find those chaos emeralds and restore their energy. Our first priority is getting both you and Sonic back to normal so that we can fight whatever it is we're up against."

"They are more than likely in Sonic's possession now. If he has already spoken to the Professor, then he knows what has to be done."

It was nearly dark as Shadow made his way through the streets of Spagonia. He was about to say something else to Rouge when he looked up to see the pink hedgehog wandering the streets. He turned a corner to a darkened alleyway as the hedgehog passed by him.

"I'll be keeping a low profile for the rest of the night. Ask the echidna if he knows anything about Dark Gaia."

Rouge confirmed and disconnected as he watched Amy Rose disappear around another corner. He knew that he had to get as far away from her as he possibly could before he changed. He didn't know why, but for some reason the craving wanted her the most. He climbed to the tops of one of the buildings, looking out as the sun faded away.

* * *

Shadow stood his ground when his rival swung up to the balcony. Shadow had watched the blue hedgehog dispose of the dark Gaia creatures and save Amy from the people that were possessed by darkness. Even without the flash of a camera Shadow could see the aura of the dark creatures. He had seethed in frustration, wanting to help but knowing that the fight might leave him weak and vulnerable to attack Amy. Sonic didn't see Shadow right away in the darkened nook, but the little creature that was with him bumped into the black hedgehog. It looked up at him and gasped as it ran over to Sonic to hide behind the blue werehog. Sonic looked over to see Shadow step out of his hiding place.

"Shadow, is that you?" Sonic looked over his transformed friend, "You don't look too good."

Shadow tilted his head, "Neither do you."

"There's another scary monster guy?" The creature asked as he flew over to Shadow, "Any friend of Sonics is a friend of mine. Want some chocolate?" It asked, pulling out a chocolate bar.

Shadow waved the creature away, "Who is this?"

"This is Chip. He's lost his memory, so I've been helping him to find out who he is."

Shadow eyed the creature before focusing on Sonic, "Do you have the chaos emeralds?"

"Sure do, why do you ask?"

"While you restore their power, I'll try to stall Eggman from harnessing all of the forms of Dark Gaia." Shadow informed him as he saw Amy talking with an older gentleman that was possibly Professor Pickle.

"Sounds like a good plan to me." Sonic said with a thumb up, "When this is over, you owe me some competition."

"Don't count on it." Shadow said as he turned and stalked away.

* * *

"Shadow are you there?" Rouge asked over the radio.

"Have you discovered anything?"

"I asked knucklehead about Dark Gaia, and he says that there should be a counterpart somewhere known as Light Gaia. If Eggman awakened Dark Gaia, than he most certainly awakened Light Gaia too."

Shadow stopped in his tracks, realization dawning as he pictured the small companion of the blue hedgehog.

"Shadow? Are you still there?"

"I think I have an idea who it is."


	2. Chapter 2

The haunted house in this part of the story is from the video clip Night of the Werehog.

* * *

**Part 2: Through this Nightmare**

Shadow dashed into the abandoned house to get out of the rain, not only in a fowl mood from the weather, but because he had been unable to find a trace on Eggman in Chun-nan or Holoska. He shut the door behind him and shook off the excess water. The house was dark and cluttered, debris filling the main hall but with no layer of dust as though the wreckage had been recent. He walked upstairs and found a room with furniture covered in white sheets. A shriek from behind him caused Shadow to whirl as a pink object latched onto him.

"Sonic! I knew I'd find you here." Amy said as she hugged him close.

Shadow felt his heart thud against his ribs, unsure if it was from the rush of adrenaline or the close proximity of another being that put him on edge.

"What are you doing here?"

Amy looked up and let him go when she realized that she had made a mistake. "Shadow? I'm so sorry, I thought you were Sonic."

She blushed in embarrassment as Shadow glared at her. She shuffled her feet nervously under his scrutiny.

"You shouldn't be here." He stated.

Amy finally met his gaze and tilted her chin up, "Not even creepy houses can keep me away from my Sonic. Tails offered to give me a ride to the other continents so that I can be close to my darling."

Shadow felt a stab of irritation at the girls' persistence in securing the blue hedgehog. He quickly shoved it away, knowing that what she did with her life was none of his concern. He turned to continue his exploration of the house, only to hear the clop of Amy's boots follow behind him.

"Actually, I was on my way to Empire City when the storm came in. I figured that I could take shelter here. I know in my heart that Sonic was here," She sighed, "I'm certain that I'm close to finding him."

Shadow didn't comment and they walked down a hallway lined with pictures that faced a row of windows. Amy suddenly giggled and Shadow eyed her sharply.

"What's so funny?" He asked in irritation.

"I was just thinking of the last time we were in a spooky place like this. Do you remember?"

Shadow remembered the time that she was talking of. He had helped her find a friend in Eggmans haunted castle. He remembered how even then she had shown no fear. There had only been determination to find her friend. Amy skipped around him to see what was ahead, no fear towards the abandoned house.

Shadow froze in his steps when his chest tightened. A familiar sensation washed through him that filled him with dread. He looked out the window to see the moon rising in the sky, and then looked back at Amy to see her turn to him.

"Shadow? What is it?"

Panic gripped him as he began to transform, realizing that he could hurt Amy. Shadow looked for an escape as his body shuddered. He had to get away from her. He didn't know what would happen if she was around him in his other form. But before he could take action, his knees buckled and he couldn't move.

"No," Shadow chocked out as he saw Amy approach him with concern. His vision changed and his teeth elongated. He could hear the blood rushing through her, filling her with life. Hunger stabbed at him stronger than before. For some reason the temptation that he usually felt with his hunger was different. It left him weak and terrified of her safety. "Amy, run."

"Shadow?" She saw him stand up in the shadows, and when a bolt lightening hit, Amy gasped and fell back. She scooted away as the creature approached her. His teeth gleamed and muscle bunched in the stalking of a predator. Amy didn't know why she hadn't realized that Shadow would be changed as well with the power drained from the chaos emeralds, but his new form was nothing like Sonics. His was lithe and deadly, with wings unfurling to make him seem more monstrous.

"Shadow," She began uncertainly, but then glared up at him, "This isn't funny. Stop trying to frighten me. You should have told me that you could transform at night."

He didn't say anything as he stepped closer. He reached towards her when there was a flash of light that was not caused by the thunder. The sound of a camera snapped Shadow out of his trance as he turned his head to see two cameras floating in the hall to their left. The creatures carrying the objects were not visible, but Shadow could see a light green energy outlining the figures. Shadow growled as he stepped towards the creatures. The ghosts cried out in alarm and one of the cameras flashed as it dropped to the ground, the other took off down the hall and disappeared. Shadow heard Amy get up and run down the way they had come. Shadow sighed in relief that she had finally heeded his warning. He looked down at the fallen camera to see a picture lying next to it. Another picture popped out of the camera as Shadow picked up the first photo. He felt his insides go cold at the image of him approaching Amy as she shrank back in fear. A fear that he saw only rarely on the pink hedgehogs' face. The other photo was even harder to bear; the image came into color of Shadow approaching the camera while Amy looked terrified. She hadn't been looking at the cameras, only at him.

The hunger that had gripped him so ferociously suddenly subsided to be replaced by his guilt. He didn't have long to dwell on the feeling when there was a commotion down the hall that Amy had gone.

"Shadow help!" Amy cried, and without a thought, Shadow dashed through the house to reach her. Amy was in the main hall, surrounded by the dark creatures with neon symbols etched on their bodies. One made a charge for the pink hedgehog as Shadow jumped from the second story balcony and landed in front of the creature, blocking its way. The Nightmare stopped before the hedgehog and tilted its head curiously. Shadow looked up at it from his crouched position and in a fast blur kicked the creature away, causing it to splatter into a mass of dark energy. After this, the creatures all came at him at once. Shadow fought them off as Amy pulled out her hammer and struck at anything that approached her. Shadow felt himself possessed by a new kind of strength in protecting the pink hedgehog. A fierce sense of possessiveness stole over him, causing him to strike out at anything that got too close to her. When there were no more creatures, Amy put the top of her hammer on the ground and leaned on the handle in triumph. She smiled over at him, the fear he had seen now gone. He waited for the crush of hunger to take him, but to his surprise, it never came. Though his body felt exhausted, it no longer drove him to hurt Amy in order to appease its hunger.

He saw her smile fade as his head lightened, making him dizzy. He swayed slightly and Amy was over in an instant to help. He wanted to push her away, but he had no strength left in him.

"Are you alright?" She asked as she wrapped an arm behind him to keep him standing. He shook his head, and Amy looked incredibly worried for his weakened state. She wasn't used to seeing Shadow like this; he had always seemed like someone who was always sturdy and resistant to anything. Seeing him vulnerable like this made her feel nervous. It was a side of him that he rarely showed to anyone.

"It'll be alright," Amy said, trying to hide her unsteadiness, "We just need to find you a place to rest."

There was a slight clatter behind one of the closed doors on the bottom floor, and Amy nearly jumped out of her fur when the door slowly opened on its own. Amy was unsure if it was wise to enter, but an orange glow from within the room suggested a warm fire. Being careful, Amy helped Shadow into the room to find a couch and a coffee table set before a crackling fire in a marble fireplace. Amy walked to the couch and sat Shadow at the end that was closest to the fire. He looked around groggily before closing his eyes to sleep. Amy tried to stay awake as her nerves stretched, but even she succumbed to sleep from her excursion with the Nightmare creatures.

* * *

The thunder was the only illumination that filled the room with cuts of light from the glass windows. The sound caused Amy to wake in fright to see herself surrounded by unfamiliar things. When another bolt hit, Amy didn't think twice as she scrambled over to Shadow. He grunted awake to find her hugging him close as lightening slashed across the sky. He tensed as hunger stirred within him, but it didn't overtake him as she trembled in fright.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't like the thunder." Another bolt slashed and she shrieked as she hugged him so tight that he was sure he would suffocate. He should push her away, should shrug her fears off as childish immaturity. Instead, he placed his hand on her shoulder, surprising them both but neither acknowledging the action.

"It can't hurt you." Shadow stated.

"I know, but I still get scared."

"I didn't think anything scared you."

Amy looked up at him, eyes shining as she smiled at him. He felt a tug on his heart that had nothing to do with his hunger, "That means a lot, coming from you Shadow." After this they didn't say anything more. They only laid together as the rain pounded on the roof. Shadow felt her body ease against his as she fell asleep. Before he fell into slumber, he thought how Sonic had become the greatest fool he had ever known. The blue hedgehog was probably running from the biggest adventure of his life, and he didn't even realize it.

* * *

Shadow blinked in wakefulness to see the sun slanting through the window. Amy shifted in her sleep and Shadow felt how her body molded to his in complete trust. Shadow felt a tug on his heart, a different kind of hunger stirred inside him that had nothing to do with his other form. It was an unfamiliar feeling, a feeling that almost terrified him as his body grew unusually warm.

"Sonic," Amy mumbled in her sleep as she nestled closer to him. When the name passed over her lips it felt as though Shadow had been doused with cold water. Shadow frowned as he mentally shoved his feelings away in disgust. The hedgehog looked around, wondering what it was that had awoken him in the first place. He looked at the coffee table to see a camera sitting on it and a photo next to it. Being sure not to wake Amy, Shadow shifted and got up to look at the photo. He gripped it tightly in his fingers when he saw that it was an image of him and Amy nestled next to one another in sleep. He was in his normal form and holding her as though he never wanted to let her go. In the bottom right hand corner of the photo was a little pink heart. He heard Amy stir behind him as she sat up and stretched.  
"Shadow, you're back to normal!" She said happily as Shadow hastily hid the photo within his glove. "Now we can get out of this creepy place and find Sonic."

Amy skipped out of the door and into the main hall as Shadow followed. He stopped to pull out the photo, wondering if he should leave it. To keep it would be admitting to feelings that he had tried so hard to forget. He knew that things would never change for the pink hedgehog. She was in love with Sonic. He knew it the moment he saw the look of despair on her face when Sonic had died. He knew then that he would do anything in his power to bring his rival back, only so that she would be happy.

Gritting his teeth, he shoved the photo back into his glove and turned to leave. Shadow heard someone giggle and turned back into the room, expecting to see someone in it. But there was no one, only the camera sitting on the table.

"Look at the ground Shadow; doesn't it look like it's covered in diamonds?" Amy asked as they exited the house, colors of the dawn painting the sky and making the moisture clinging to the grass sparkle. Shadow looked over at the pink hedgehog, realizing that if she hadn't said anything, he probably wouldn't have noticed.

* * *

Shadow looked around the square of Empire City. The fountain sparkled in the late afternoon sun as people circulated through the square. A few people looked his way, but were familiar with the identity of the black hedgehog, and didn't bother him in his search. Amy looked up at the sun, "It sure is warm here, and the buildings are so tall that it makes my head spin." She said this cheerfully, twirling in a slow circle when something caught her attention at the side of the square.

She looked back at him, "Want to get some ice cream?"

"What?" Shadow asked as he looked over to the side to see an ice cream stand.

"Ice cream. It would be the perfect treat for a day like this." She said as she headed over to the stand. Shadow followed hesitantly behind her as she got two cones of ice cream from the young man. Amy kept the strawberry sherbet, and offered Shadow the one that looked to be made of dark chocolate. Not used to receiving anything from anyone, Shadow took it and looked at it as Amy began to eat her ice cream before it melted. Shadow licked the cream and felt the cool sweet ice melt over his tongue.

He looked over at Amy, feeling as though he needed to say something, "How is Cream?"

"She's great. She is watching over our apartment in Central City while I'm away. How is Rouge? I haven't seen her in a while." Any bitterness she had towards the bat regarding the kidnapping of Emerl was no longer evident.

"She is well." He said licking the cream before it melted onto his glove.

Amy was about to take another lick of her ice cream when she stopped and studied Shadow. He looked away from her scrutiny, wondering what she was trying to see, "You like Rouge right?"

He shrugged, "She is a reliable ally."

Amy gasped as though he had revealed a great secret, "I knew you liked her!"

Shadow gave her a perplexed look, not realizing that he had given any indication that he had.

"Have you told her how you feel?"

Shadow felt heat flush his cheeks and Amy smiled, completely misinterpreting the action. Shadow wasn't embarrassed by the question; he was embarrassed by who was asking it.

"Love certainly changes everything doesn't it?" Amy said as she walked over to the fountain.

Shadow didn't comment on this, not believing that his feelings for her had changed anything. He took a big bite out of his ice cream and shut his eyes to the headache that came with it. Amy stopped in front of the fountain and turned to him, "How long have you been in love with her?"

Shadow didn't look at her, and instead looked down at the ice cream when he answered, "Long time."

"That's so sweet. So why haven't you told her how you feel?"

Shadow hesitated, "She is in love with someone else." He didn't know why he was talking about this with the pink hedgehog; his only conclusion for it came from the idea that the headache from the ice cream was affecting his speech.

"You mean Knuckles? I guess that makes sense, but your going to fight for her right?"

Shadow looked at her in surprise, "What?"

"Well, she's not going to see how great you are until you show how much you care about her." Shadow believed her words held a grain of truth to them, but he knew that if Amy ever found out how he felt, she would still love Sonic. It was tempting at that moment to tell her, to see if the words she spoke applied to her own life, but Shadow didn't want to risk it.

He didn't get a chance to answer the previous question when Amy waved her hand, "Oh I'm sorry, I really shouldn't be so nosy."

She hoped up onto the edge of the fountain. Shadow sat down next to her as they ate their ice cream in silence. A small band of men took up residence not too far from them and started to sing in harmony for general entertainment. A crowd formed around them and listened, every once in a while contributing a bit of extra change for the performance. Shadow ate the crispy part of his cone in two bites while Amy nibbled tentatively on hers, slightly swaying to the beat of the music as she sat and watched. Shadow looked at the sky and was shocked to see how close the sun was to the horizon. He stood and turned to Amy.

"I have to go." She jumped up as well.

"That's right; you have to go find Dr. Eggman. I really should be going too. I need to find Sonic." She threw the rest of her uneaten cone in the trash. She waved and walked towards the city, "See you around Shadow."

Shadow got a bad feeling as he watched her enter the city, thinking that the Nightmares would be out on the prowl tonight. He clenched his fists, knowing that he had no time to be worrying about her safety. Knowing that he shouldn't be worrying about her. It would only distract him from finding Eggman.

* * *

That night, Rouge was walking down the streets in the dusty city of Shamar towards the Professors new living quarters.

"I still don't see why I have to come along." Knuckles grumbled as he followed behind the bat.

Rouge looked over her shoulder at the echidna, "You don't expect me to wander the streets all by myself do you?"

"Where's Shadow?" Knuckles asked, and Rouge turned forward to hide her smile at the note of jealousy that she heard in his voice.

"He's busy hunting down Eggman. I wanted to find the Professor and ask him a few questions." They walked up the stone steps to the office room and found the Professor looking through a manuscript.

The Professor looked up as they entered, "Oh, hello there. How may I help you?"

After introductions, Rouge told the Professor about Shadow and his weakened condition in his other form. "I was hoping you could tell me if there was any way to help him."

"Oh, dear." The Professor exclaimed. When Rouge asked what was wrong, both Rouge and Knuckles were shocked by what the Professor told them could be the fate of their friend.

* * *

Amy looked down over the top of one of the tallest buildings, looking for any sign of her darling Sonic. Sighing in frustration, she paced along the roof, confident that he had been there. Her mind wandered to Shadow, wondering what he was doing and how he was handling his new form. She had been surprised when he had offered her comfort in the storm. It didn't seem like him, and yet it didn't seem to go entirely against his character. She knew that Shadow wasn't a bad hedgehog, but before she had always felt a bit apprehensive when presented with his company. Regardless of this, Amy had still done her best to make friends with him. She stopped, pacing, still surprised at how nice it had been to be held by Shadow, how protected and secure she felt with him. When she had woken during the night, it had been cold, the fire that had once burned no longer producing warmth. Shadow had warmed her, his body producing enough heat for the both of them. Amy smiled as she thought about there time spent in the park, surprised at how nice it felt to spend time with him. Amy was so lost in thought that she didn't notice the Nightmare creeping over the top of the building, eyeing her. It spread out its wings and bore down on her, Amy looking up with a cry of alarm. A black blur smacked into the creature, tumbling it across the ceiling. The creature shook its head and glared at the black hedgehog that stood before it and it's pray. The dark winged creature lunged towards the hedgehog, and Shadow collided with it. The force of their fight collided with Amy and she tumbled over the edge of the building. The black hedgehog cried out in rage as he dashed past the creature and dived after the pink hedgehog.

* * *

Amy tumbled down, glimpsing images of blurred gray, black, and reflected light. The spinning suddenly stopped when Shadow caught her to him, wings expanding from his dive. He swooped around and landed on a lower skyscraper. Amy didn't have enough time to regain her balance when Shadow was struck down by the pursuing Nightmare. Shadow flipped around to face the creature, moving too fast for the Nightmare to catch the ebony hedgehog. Shadow angled his wings so that its sharp edges sliced at his opponent. The creature made a swipe at the hedgehog with its three sharp claws. Shadow leapt up and came down on its back, stabbing the creature with his sharp appendages. The Nightmare cried out, Shadow jumped in front of the creature and rammed it, pushing it over the edge as it disintegrated. Breathing heavily, Shadow abruptly turned around and stalked over to the pink hedgehog. Amy gasped and took a step back from him as he approached her.

He made a move as though he were going to grab her, but instead he kept his hands at his side and curled them into fists. He looked at her, eyes glowing fire.

"You should leave."

Heart still pounding, her fear quickly turned into irritation, "Don't start turning into a grumpy geezer, I told you why I'm here. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

Shadow felt his blood simmer. She was acting as though she were completely ignorant of the danger she had been in, of the danger that she was still in. The thirst burned strongly within him beside his anger.

"The feelings you might have for the blue hedgehog are not worth risking your life for," He heard himself say.

She turned and glared at him defiantly, "What would you know about it? You haven't even told the girl you like how you feel about her."

Shadow couldn't believe that the pink hedgehog was confronting him when his anger was so apparent. Anyone else would have been wary of his temper.

"No," he finally said, "I haven't told her." And he knew that he never could. That he never should.

Amy nodded, as though he had just proven her point, "You really shouldn't keep your emotions locked up all the time you know. If you do it will just make you angry."

"Does he fight for you?" Shadow suddenly asked.

Amy was taken aback by the question, "What?"

Shadow was too furious to check what he was saying, "At the park you said if you really loved someone, you would fight for them. Does Sonic fight for you?" He took a step closer to her, causing her to step back from what he was implying.

"Of course he does, he saves me from Dr. Eggman."

Shadow shook his head, looking weary, "He saves everyone Amy. I'm asking if he has ever told you that he cares."

Amy felt her eyes fill with tears, frustrated that he was turning her words on her, "He's just shy that's all. I know that deep down he cares about me."

He clenched his fists and turned away, needing to get away from her. Frustrated at her stubbornness. Not wanting to admit that she was right about his anger. "Never mind," He growled as he stepped to the edge of the building and glided away. Amy went over to see him fly out of sight.

"What's his problem?" Amy asked herself in a huff. Amy looked around, seeing that there were no other Nightmare creatures around. Amy contemplated continuing her search regardless of what had happened. Remembering what Shadow had said, Amy pouted as she headed to the door that led to the inside of the skyscraper. She opened it and slammed it shut behind her like an angry child, telling herself that she wasn't going back to Shamar because Shadow had told her to go, but because she wanted to. Tilting her head up, she headed for the stairs, setting out to contact Tails and have him give her a lift back to the desert city.

* * *

Amy was still pouting when Rouge and Knuckles exited out of the Professors new office. Rouge spotted Amy and went over to her urgently, the look of worry on her face causing Amy to look at them in surprise.

"Rouge, Knuckles, what are you doing here?"

"Amy, have you seen Shadow?" Rouge asked as Knuckles walked up to stand beside the bat.

Amy looked between the two before answering, "Well, ya. He was following Eggman through Empire City."

Rouge turned to Knuckles, "We have to find him."

Amy was certain that Knuckles would make an irritated comment, but even he sounded a bit unsure when he answered, "I'm sure he can take care of himself."

"Wait, what's going on?" Amy asked.

Rouge looked back at Amy, debating in what she should tell the pink hedgehog. Knuckles put a gloved hand on the bats shoulder, "Shadow has turned into a creature that cannot survive without feeding from another person."

Amy felt her breath catch in her throat as she looked between the two of them, "What?" She could barely choke out the question.

Rouge ears drooped, "The Professor says that if Shadow continues to resist what his body needs, then its possible he won't be able to survive."

Amy felt overcome with fear for Shadows life. This whole time he was in his other form, he had suffered. Amy was sure that he had never sought nutrition from anyone, knowing that he would feel horrible if he had hurt someone. He had tried to warn her in the haunted house, but she hadn't understood. Amy couldn't imagine the strength he had used to keep from hurting her that night that they had spent together. Curling her hands into fists, she turned and darted back down the way she had come, wanting to catch Tails before he left.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3: The darkest side of me**

Shadow fought his way through the army of robots, determined to stop the doctor before he could harness the powers of Dark Gaia and possibly awaken it. The robots were no match for his power, but when he was through their ranks, he fell to his knees, too weak to stand.

"Ho, ho Shadow, what's the matter? Feeling a bit run down." The doctor flew over the hedgehog, two clamps extending from the vessel and trapping Shadow within them. Shadow bared his teeth at the crazed scientist, anger and thirst scorching his veins.

"What are you doing?" Shadow growled as they flew over the Empire.

"I'm just taking you to an old friend. I think it would be nice if you dropped in." Eggman let the hedgehog go and Shadow opened his wings to lessen the fall. He came to a stand to see Sonic coming to a stop in front of him.

"You two play nice now." The doctor crowed as he flew away.

"Shadow, what's going on?"

Shadow couldn't hear what Sonic said, the only thing that reached his ears was a deafening pound. Sonic saw a look of anguish cross over his friends face, but in the next instant it was gone, and the black hedgehog attacked.

* * *

"Can't you get any closer Tails?" Amy asked as they flew overhead.

"I'll try, I think I see them."

Amy looked over the edge, panic seizing her when she saw Shadow and Sonic locked in combat, Chip flying around frantically. Amy gripped the edge of the plane, realizing that what Rouge had said was true. Shadow was no longer himself, driven by the hunger that his form craved. If the hunger didn't receive the nutrition in desired, Shadow's life could end. Amy leaned over the edge as they got closer when a sudden gust of wind rocked the plane, causing Amy to tumble out.

"Amy!" Tails cried as he saw his friend land on the ground not far below. Amy stood up and shook her head to clear the dizziness.

The moment she looked up, Shadow had abandoned his fight with Sonic and charged at Amy. When he was mere inches from her, Sonics arm extended and grabbed the black hedgehog's foot. Shadow fell and clawed at the floor to reach the girl as Sonic pulled him away from her.

"Amy, stay away from him! Shadows not himself."

Shadow snarled and turned to bite down on the paw that held him. Sonic yelped in pain as Shadow took off into the sky and swooped down to tackle the blue hedgehog. They both tumbled along the ground and fell down a shaft that led to another room. Shadow pushed Sonic into the floor and tried to fly back up the shaft only to have two paws clamp onto his feet. Shadow snarled as Sonic pulled him down and swung him into a wide circle. Sonic let go and Shadow smashed into a wall, falling into an unconscious heap onto the floor.

"Sonic, the sooner we find that temple, the sooner he'll change back to normal." Chip said.

Sonic nodded as the two companions took off, not seeing the pink hedgehog come down the shaft in search of them. She saw Shadow in a crumpled heap and immediately went over to him. His eyes snapped opened when she was a few feet away. She stopped to see what he would do. Upon seeing her, Shadow coughed and turned away from her, dragging himself away, limbs shaking.

"Shadow don't," Amy said, not being able to bear seeing the pain that he was in.

"Get away from me." He said weakly, still trying to get away.

"Shadow, you need to feed."

He looked at her in shock. "No," he whispered hoarsely as she knelt beside him.

"Shadow, if you don't, your life might end. Please."

"You don't even know what it will do to you!" He said in outrage.

"Nothing will happen. Please Shadow, I don't want you to go. None of us do." Shadow saw her eyes fill with tears. Shadow felt the breath rush out of him when he saw the look on her face. It was the same look she had when Sonic had been killed. Groaning in surrender, Shadow brought her close to him and bit down on the soft skin between her neck and shoulder.

* * *

Amy had readied herself for the pain as his teeth sank in, but she didn't expect the rush of emotion that swept over her. Memories filtered through her mind. Images of herself pleading with Shadow aboard the Ark, how she had held him for a moment, believing him to be Sonic. Shadow watching her chase after the blue hedgehog after defeating Metal Sonic. Shadow seeing the pink hedgehog practice boxerciseing with a robot that she was convinced to be her adopted child. Amy asking Shadow for help to find her friend within a castle that would have terrified any other person. Her cry for help when they had been paralyzed by Black Doom. The look of anguish on her face as she knelt next to Sonics still form. Everything that reminded him of Maria and what he had lost. Everything that he noticed about the pink hedgehog that made her unique from everyone else. Amy could see and feel everything that he had experienced in those moments. Hope from her words to believe in humanity, annoyance at her immaturity and frustration at his feelings whenever he saw Sonic running from her. His acceptance of her feelings, and the photo that he had found and placed within his glove. Amy felt herself becoming lightheaded, and at the same time feeling overwhelmed and warm.

Shadow managed to pull himself away from her. The life in her that he had tasted making him delirious. He could feel the purity inside of her, finding it addicting beyond anything he had ever experienced. It was as though she had stripped away all his barriers, exposing his feelings and taking them in as he did her. After a moment, Amy lost consciousness.

* * *

Amy opened her eyes and blinked at the stone ceiling. She sat up to find herself in the Professors lab at Shamar, but she had no recollection of how she got there. The last thing she remembered was Shadow looking up at her as everything went dark. Amy placed a trembling hand to her lips, remembering the images she had seen in Shadow's mind. She had no idea that he had harbored such feelings for her for so long. She felt bad that she hadn't noticed them; that she had been too preoccupied to see how he felt. She curled her hand into a fist and struck the floor, annoyed that he hadn't said anything. But she knew that that wasn't fair, Shadow never disclosed his feelings to anyone. He had purposefully tried to ignore them so that she could be happy. Amy got up and saw that there was no one around, causing her to worry about the black hedgehog. Had he taken her back to the lab, or had Tails found her? Was Shadow even still alive? The thought filled her with dread as the ground suddenly shook beneath her feet. When the shaking subsided, Amy dashed outside to see what was happening.

* * *

Shadow ran to a tunnel that led to the temple beneath Eggman Land. He had been able to contact Rouge and have her take Amy to the Professors new office in Shamar, wanting the pink hedgehog to be safe. Shadow came to an abrupt halt in front of a chasm ripped in through the ground that led to the temple entrance. The ground rumbled as Shadow flew to the other side and proceeded into the temple. Shadow stopped suddenly when he felt a tightening in his chest and was encompassed in a blinding light.

* * *

Amy looked up at the sky as the Professor walked up beside her, expressing his concern as to the end of the world. Amy tried to comfort the Professor, knowing that Sonic would never let the world end. As she looked up at the sky, she knew that Shadow wouldn't let it happen either. She just hoped that he was still there to keep his promise.

* * *

Shadow growled as the darkness left him and spun through the exit of the temple that was shifting. Shadow got up and ran outside to see that all of the temples had joined into a large structure that was battling with Dark Gaia. Shadow could hear Chip struggling with the creature as Sonic attacked its weak spot. The structure shifted, causing Shadow to slide across the stone floor.

"I've got you now!"

Shadow turned to see Eggman flying towards them, a malicious grin on his face as his glasses gleamed in the molten light of the lava.

"I don't think so." Shadow said as he waited for the pod to come closer before jumping over to it.

"Uh hay!" Eggman cried as the black hedgehog began beating the protective glass surrounding the doctor. "Stop that!"

The pod swayed, nearly causing the hedgehog to lose his footing. The pod plunked down to an outcropping of rock. Shadow glared at the doctor through the pods glass when a horrible screech wrenched the air.

He and the doctor looked over to see Dark Gaia shove the temple structure away as it transformed. Arms jabbed out of its side with green slime spilling out. Rows of eyes appeared on either side of its center, looking around as Sonic used the chaos emeralds to transform into his super form.

"Sonic is too late. Dark Gaia has reached his final form. Now I can harness the full extent of its power." Shadow looked up to see Sonic in his super form as he and Chip prepared for the final attack against Dark Gaia. He then looked at the doctors gleaming face and smirked.

Shadow struck the glass so hard that a crack ran down its center. In a panic, the doctor pressed buttons on the console. The pod moved forward suddenly as the doctor tried to push the black hedgehog off of his machine. Shadow slipped and fastened onto the side of the device. He pulled back his fist and struck into the machine, sparks popping as the metal gave way. The pod pitched up suddenly, going to the surface of the Earth and crashing into the dirt. Eggman shook his head to clear it from the rough landing and tensed when he saw Shadow standing in front of him.

"Now wait a minute, you wouldn't hurt an old friend, would you Shadow?" The doctor said nervously as the hedgehog glared at him.

"No," Shadow answered and Eggman relaxed a bit until a red haze engulfed Shadows body, "But I don't want to see you either." Shadow growled as he used Chaos Blast to throw the pod in the general direction of the desert. As the pod winked out of sight, the ground began to lower back into place.

* * *

When the sky cleared, Amy shared the same feeling of relief and happiness that all of the people felt. As the professor talked of the dependency between light and darkness, Amy couldn't help but think of Shadow, hoping that he and Sonic were alright. As she thought about the party that she would have to celebrate their victory, there was one black hedgehog that Amy knew she would be inviting.


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4: Not the real me**

Amy left the party is search of Shadow, hearing from Rouge that he had left. She looked down the streets of Shamar and found the black hedgehog walking away.

"Shadow wait," She called out, running towards him as he stopped and turned. Amy stood before him in the pool of light by one of the lit torches, feeling glad that Shadow was back to normal in the hours of night. The light flickered over his harsh features, his look of indifference making Amy nervous. He didn't say anything, only waited for her to speak.

"I wanted to talk about what happened," She stated, looking down at her boots.

"There is nothing to discuss." He said, knowing what she was referring to and having no desire to bring it up again.

She looked up at him, a spark lighting her eyes. "Of course there is, you should have told me."

"It wouldn't have solved anything. Nothing would have changed."

Amy hesitated, wondering if what he said was true. She was still confused over her own feelings. Unbelieving as to the extent of his. "You don't know that." She said softly. Ever since she had felt the feelings within him, something had changed. She was aware of him in a way that she hadn't been before. The way his ruby eyes would darken when he looked at her, how the harsh lines of his features softened when she was near him.

Shadow looked away from her, "I don't know how I could ever repay you for what you did, but you have my thanks." Shadow couldn't remember anything more difficult than leaving Amy to stand alone in the torch light. Ever since she had saved his life, it had felt as though he now carried a part of her with him, lodged in his chest beside his heart. Shadow had been able to leave behind his past, but he wasn't so sure he could ever so easily discard the photo of the two of them together. A moment that seemed unreal. Shadow knew that he could be spending his whole life waiting to have someone like Amy in it. He hoped that the blunt edge of eternity would make it easier to bear.

* * *

A few days later Shadow and Rouge were at the edge of the Shamar desert within an oasis. G.U.N had picked up surveillance of Eggman, and Shadow smirked, thinking of the horrible conditions that the Doctor would have to endure.

"I've never known you to walk away from anything Shadow," Rouge said suddenly.

He turned to give her a deadly glare, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"All I'm saying is that whenever you have wanted something, there isn't a thing in the whole universe that you won't tear down to get to it."

"What are you talking about?" Shadow hadn't expected this of Rouge. She usually knew when to leave well enough alone.

"I know that you love Amy, and don't even think about denying it. You've kept it quiet, but I'm your partner and I noticed. Maybe it was all right to hide how you felt because of Amy's feelings for Sonic, but now things are different. I don't know how she found out, but she knows, and you can't take something like that back."

He looked away from her, shaking his head, "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Maybe, but I know that the longer you wait, the more your going to regret losing the time that you could have spent with her."

Shadow grew frustrated at how accurate the bat was, "It's none of your business."

Rouge shrugged, "Despite how different you are from each other, and how you seem to be the two hedgehogs that would be least compatible, it actually makes sense. You two might actually be the most suitable couple."

"Lets get moving." Shadow said, walking away in an effort to end the conversation.

"All I'm saying is that you've never been afraid of anything Shadow," She gave him a meaningful look, "Don't start now."

* * *

"Cream, why do I chase Sonic?" Amy asked

Cream looked at her friend in surprise, pouring tea for each of them and her pet Chao.

"I thought that you wanted to marry Mr. Sonic."

Amy had believed that it was this reason that she was chasing the blue hedgehog, but for a moment, she couldn't remember her reason. She had been chasing after Sonic ever since she could remember, but she had forgotten her reason behind her persistence. Certainly she admired him, and he had a certain charm about him that he carried with an air of mystery. But this seemed like nothing compared to Shadow. He was intense, and Amy had to admit to herself that he was a little intimidating. She had never given much thought to what would have happened if Sonic had shown up at her door with no intent in running away from her. She wasn't certain if she would have still held the same admiration for him or if it would have grown into something more. Amy refused to believe that her feelings for him hadn't been genuine, but when compared to Shadow, she couldn't help but see the childish immaturity behind her antics. The feelings she had felt in Shadow for her made her emotions for Sonic seem dim in comparison. Amy knew that if it was anyone else, she probably would have shrugged off the declaration. But this was Shadow, and she didn't know why it felt so different. For some reason Shadow's actions spoke to her more deeply than any words of love that Sonic could ever give her. It wasn't in her to give up; she probably would have gone on chasing Sonic regardless of how he felt about her. For some reason now, Amy wanted more. It was a desire that Shadow had recently invoked in her. Chasing no longer seemed enough. Shadow had said that nothing would change, but something had. She had to convince him that everything had changed. Amy struck the table with her fist, causing the rabbit and Chao to start with surprise.

"If I want to have a relationship with someone then I have every right to!" Amy said.

"What?" Cream asked in confusion.

"If I want to go out with a stubborn geezer, then I will." Amy said with conviction.

"I'm sure that Mr. Sonic isn't that mean."

"I'm not talking about Sonic, I'm talking about Shadow."

"Shadow!" Cream said in surprise, her Chao nearly tipping over its cup.

"That's right, and if he doesn't want to be with me, well then that's his tough luck." Amy knew that in her heart she would always love Sonic, but not the way she could love Shadow. She was certain of it.

There was a knock on the door and Amy offered to get it, the rabbit and Chao looking at her curiously as she left the kitchen. Cream got up and looked out the kitchen window and smiled when she saw who it was. She looked up at her Chao who had flown over to the window.

"I don't think that's the case." Cream said.

"Chao!"

* * *

Amy opened the door and gasped in surprise when she saw Shadow standing on her doorstep. He looked up at her, saying nothing. Amy felt her heart expand at the sight of him, feeling the moment grow. They both stood there, looking at one another nervously, Shadow now seeming unsure now that he had shown up. Amy tilted her chin up with a gleam in her eye. She went over to him, surprising them both when she placed her hands on either side of his muzzle and kissed him. Something she had never attempted with Sonic, but an irresistible reaction to Shadow being there. Shadow faltered for a moment, unbelieving when the kiss ended as fast as it had been placed. When she pulled herself away, she brushed her bangs out of her eyes in a nervous gesture.

"I guess I should have waited for you to say something before I went and did that."

He smiled at her and was about to step forward when the Tornado was heard overhead. Sonic came to a stop not too far from them and waved to Shadow.

"Ready for some competition?"

"A waste of time." Shadow answered.

Sonic looked between the two hedgehogs and grinned, "Hey Amy." He said before dashing away, a trail of dust rising behind him.

Shadow shook his head and turned his head to see Amy place her hands on her hips, "Does this mean I'm going to have to chase after you?"

Shadow smirked, "Think you can keep up with me?"

Shadow took off after the blue hedgehog, Amy smiling as Cream and Cheese peeked out the door, "You bet I can!" Amy said as she went after them.

* * *

Thank you for reading and reviews!


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